Well Trained Mind vs. the Latin Centered Curriculum

I'd like to compare and contrast the two, and then look at what I'm planning for next year. I'm planning 2nd grade and K4, for the record.

Also- a quick google search for Latin Centered Curriculum 2nd grade didn't really turn up any blogs with a detailed listing! I'm actually pretty surprised. All you LCC bloggers need to put more out there, OK?

2nd grade:

Well Trained Mind subject areas
Language- Spelling, cursive, reading/notebooking, grammar, memory work, fun reading
Writing- writing and dictation
Mathematics
History- medieval-early Renaissance
Science- earth science and astronomy
Religion- world religions and family faith
Art
Music

Latin Centered Curriculum Subject areas
English Studies- Phonics as needed, reading, copywork, recitation
Latin
Classical Studies- Norse myths
Christian Studies
Modern Studies- geography and biographies
Arithmetic
Nature Study/Science

Looking at it I see about 14 subject areas for the WTM plan and 10 for the LCC. That's really not as big of a difference as I thought it would be since the LCC is so often referred to as pared down.

Neither one includes foreign language (well, outside Latin) at this age, and that's something that we are already doing and won't be dropping that.

My 2nd grade plan falls somewhere in the middle of the two.

So far I have a rough line up ready.

Language Arts/English Studies- Writing Tales 1, Rod and Staff Spelling 3

Reading- Books tied to the history and science rotation

Mathematics- Saxon Math 2

History- Romans, Reformers, and Revolutionaries, Usborne Internet Linked Encyclopedia

Science- Earth/space science

Latin- Prima Latina

French- Le Francais Facile

Religion- New Testament and Catechism

Art- Artistic Pursuits

Music- piano lessons

I plan to do dictation and memory work from History and Religion. My time goal is about 2-3 hours a day, doing History and Science both twice a week and the rest of the subjects daily.

Kindergarten 4:

Well Trained Mind line up:

Reading
Writing
Mathematics

Latin Centered Curriculum subjects (It should be noted that there is no K4 line up, this is the general Kindy suggestions):

Latin Centered Curriculum Subject areas
English Studies- Intensive phonics,nursery rhymes, copywork, recitation
Latin
Classical Studies- Aesop's fables
Christian Studies
Modern Studies- geography and biographies
Nature Study/Science

Our actual plan:

Phonics- Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading, Hooked on Phonics
Writing: Cursive First, copywork as desired
Math- Saxon K
Latin- Prima Latina
French- Le Francais Facile

We'll also read through Aesop and she'll listen to as much science and history as she wants.

There's been quite a bit of waffling on my part on some of these, and there may be tweaking of some choices still to come, but I'm rather pleased at how it looks so far.

French

We are slowly working through Hooked on French- then we will begin Le Francais Facile Junior.
Our speed would be pretty quick if I was just working with Sweet Pea, but I've decided for vocab to go at Little Bird's pace as well so she can join in.
So far the kids know hello/goodbye, numbers 0-10, and how to say how old they are.

I'm debating picking up the Ultimate Lapbook Handbook- anyone have it and have opinions?

Daily reporting

We started the day with more writing. At this point we're doing all the pages, but I feel like I'm ticking down time until we've finished it and we can try something else.

I'm thinking of pulling back out a few pages of Cursive First- mainly for a few, select capital letters. All of her lower case ones are formed properly, in the proper order, but a few capitals keep throwing her for a loop.

Earlybird math is going well- and almost finished! Sweet Pea did lesson 14 today. She had a case of the wiggles that initially interfered with her doing work I knew that she was fully capable of, but once she settled down she did a great job.


Today in science we learned all about two different groups of trees- needle leaf trees and broadloaf trees. I have been having Sweet Pea read the lesson, then we talk about it together, and then she works through the questions at the end semi-independently. Some of it she needs more help with- which makes sense considering we jumped right into second grade science.
Part of her work today was drawing six things made from wood- she drew a ruler, a pencil, a door, a china cabinet, a chair and something that I can't make out. I'm sure it's wooden, though. ;)
We have started listening to movies in French, with English subtitles. I still haven't gotten a French program, so we're cruising solo on that for right now. I need to sit down and pick 100 or so words to start with and begin working them into our daily repetoire. I don't know if I'll focus on writing right away, or not, but I would like to introduce phrases and nouns.

More French thoughts

Specifically about curriculum choices and panic because everything seems either really expensive or really cheap, or both.
Right now the most feasible choice seems to be something in the lines of the Hooked on Phonic's Hooked on French which looks short, but reasonably cheap. Also similar is the Berlitz Kids French Language Pack.
I like the look of the Power-Glide Elementary French kids stuff- but ouch. Ditto for Le Francais Facile and Rosetta Stone French.
And I'm really confused about the differences between homeschool French Rosetta stone and the personal ones. They're the same price.
I prefer homeschooling when I have everything picked out and set.

Language musings

Not Language Arts for once, either!
I'm thinking of dropping Latin and starting French. There's a few reasons for this and it's been stewing for a while.
Latin isn't going so well here. I know a lot of people really love it and really get into it, but it's a pretty obvious flop here right now. I'm not getting into it, the kids aren't getting into it, so it doesn't get done. Then I feel guilty because we are behind, but we don't want to do it so it STILL doesn't come out.
I don't know Latin. I'm not learning ahead of the kids, so I can't answer questions past the current lesson. We don't use it during the day.
I do know French, and it's something that I can speak to the kids. It's also still a widely used language in the world.
I think that this is the right choice for us for now, and it doesn't mean that we won't come back to Latin in the future. Just that the time isn't right for us here and now.
So we will be tabling Prima Latina for now.
I'm pretty set that we will be using Le Francais Facile to begin. Unless I find something better. So that's where we are for now.